After merciless taunting from classmates and abuse at the hand of her religious fanatic mother (Julianne Moore), Carrie (Chloë Grace Moretz) lets her anger get the best of her … and her telekinetic powers are unleashed. And when a prom prank goes horribly wrong, events spiral out of control until the terrifying conclusion of this powerful, pulse-quickening horror story.

For thoughts on Carrie (2013), please see my colleague Shawn Paul Wood’s piece on the film here.

Video Quality

Carrie has been given a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray in 2160p/Dolby Vision courtesy of Scream Factory which offers a welcome uptick in quality over the accompanying Blu-Ray derived from the same source. The film was last released on Blu-Ray a decade ago via MGM following its theatrical release, but we do not have that disc to compare. Even compared to the new Blu-Ray, the difference is not staggering, but it offers your typical improvements of a 4K UHD upscale.

The most substantial improvement comes from the implementation of Dolby Vision to gain the greatest sense of accuracy to the palette. The most striking elements come from the handling of the contrast. Black levels are robust in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. A large part of the film takes place in shadows or at night, and on this disc, these scenes are more vivid and finely delineated. The highlights in the film are more controlled with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming that we noticed. The color grading gives the film a more desaturated look overall, yet there are improvements to the range of the color spectrum in the lighting effects at the prom along with the inferno, especially.

This 4K UHD presentation similarly impresses with strong gains in clarity throughout the feature. The production design is explored in favorable depth along with the gory makeup effects which are spotlighted in all of their sticky glory with this transfer. You will also find more defined textures in some of the clothing along with elements of the production design. The fleeting instances of compression artifacts and banding present on the Blu-Ray are eradicated with this 4K UHD disc. The Blu-Ray does a nice job, but Scream Factory allows the feature to look its best on this 4K UHD release.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray release delivers a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 lossless track that effortlessly brings this story to life. The track engages all of the channels with sound effects and ambient noise in all environments that push the level of immersion to great heights. As Carrie walks down the hallways at school, the surround speakers deliver a bustling three-dimensional experience. The score from Marco Beltrami solidifies the atmosphere with unwavering fidelity. Dialogue emanates clearly in the center channel without getting outclassed by the music or any sound effects.Kinetic sequences in the third act have a dynamic sound design that packs a punch. This disc showcases the chilling developments with nuance and clarity. The activity in the low end is substantial and never comes up short. Scream Factory has offered a terrific audio experience for this film. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided on this disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Kimberly Peirce provides a sturdy commentary track in which she discusses the production of the film, going back to the Stephen King source material to adapt the material for the screen again, the way the story was modernized, working with the performers, the special effects work, and more.

The Devil’s Hand – Designing Carrie: A new 23-minute interview with Production Designer Carol Spier in which she discusses getting involved with the project, attempting to stick closer to the Stephen King source rather than recreating the De Palma film, the shooting locations, contrasting certain colors to accentuate the violence, the dressing and construction of different sets, and more.

They’re All Going To Laugh At You – Adapting Carrie: A new 33-minute interview with author Joseph Maddrey in which he discusses the Stephen King source material, how it evolved into the novel as we know it, how the feature adaptations have handled the material, the themes explored, and more.

Alternate Ending: A two-and-a-half-minute alternate ending that more prominently features Sue is provided with optional audio commentary from director Kimberly Peirce.

Deleted/Alternate Scenes: An 11-minute selection of unused footage is provided here with optional audio commentary from director Kimberly Peirce. There are some interesting moments, but you can understand why most of it was cut.

Creating Carrie: A 21-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the Stephen King source material, the fresh interpretation for this adaptation, the facets of the characters, the performers who bring them to life, the direction of Peirce, the special effects work, and more.

The Power of Telekinesis: A four-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the portrayal of telekinesis in the film and their own personal beliefs about the concept.

Tina on Fire Stunt Double Dailies: A two-minute look at the special effects work that went into creating a believable person on fire that is supplemented with commentary from director Kimberly Peirce.

Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise: A two-and-a-half-minute featurette that looks at the creation of an inventive PR stunt.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Carrie was never going to reach the heights of the original Brian De Palma adaptation of the Stephen King source material, but it does hold up as an entertaining run at the story itself. If we are being honest, it even does a few things better than the original, even if the overall execution feels a half-step down from the original. The performances are pretty great across the board, the special effects are in good shape, and it does keep you emotionally invested in Carrie’s journey. We would not say it was a completely necessary film to make, but we still have a fun time watching it. Scream Factory has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation along with some cool new and archival special features. If you do not hold the original film to be so sacred that you cannot fathom another version existing, then give this one a chance, especially since it is nice to have a woman telling this story. Recommended

Carrie (2013) will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray on March 19, 2024.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.